Piano's team has a long tradition of interventions in urban areas to be protected and rehabilitated. During its post-Pompidou phase, the firm was involved in social programs for the recovery of architecturally degraded old quarters throughout Italy. The result of this activity is its respectful attitude towards the built environment, but without renouncing the use of advances in technology and industry.

As a continuation of this series of participatory projects, Piano has developed other designs on an urban scale, focusing mainly on the development of the edge areas (walls, moats, gates) of historic cities, including Rhodes, Valletta and, as a special case, Pompeii...[+]